Grönholm wins Neste Rally Finland

Finn's fifth home win puts end to Sebastian Loeb's winning streak

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After a year-long dry season, Finland's Marcus Grönholm returned to top form by securing victory in the Neste Rally Finland. While doing so, he also put an end to Frenchman Sébastian Loeb's streak of six consecutive wins. Loeb is the current leader in the World Championship standings.
     
Even before Sunday's final leg, Peugeot driver Grönholm had practically wrapped up the race, having already pulled out a comfortable lead on his rivals of more than a minute. Ultimately Citroën's Loeb finished second a minute and 6.7 seconds behind Grönholm.
      "At the start of the race I did not feel completely confident, but I knew I had a shot at this", Grönholm admitted. "The car worked without problems, the tyres were good, and the roads and the weather suited us perfectly."
     
Grönholm's victory lifted him to second place in the drivers' championship standings past Petter Solberg. The Norwegian Subaru driver, who finished fourth in Finland, is now two points behind Grönholm.
      Before this season's remaining six races, Loeb's lead over Grönholm is 28 points. The Frenchman seemed pleased with his second place in Jyväskylä.
      "I am very pleased with the result, especially because I achieved it in Finland", admitted Loeb, who had never before finished higher than fourth in the Finnish race. Home drivers have tended to hold sway here, at least until a couple of years ago.
     
A chosen few seem to dominate today's rally scene. The first three places in the current championship standings belong to the world champions of the past three years.
      Estonia's Marko Märtin, who came third in Finland, helped Peugeot to secure the leading position in the constructors' title race.
      "Loeb drove well for a Frenchman, but the fact remains that on Finnish roads Grönholm is the unrivalled king", said Peugeot motorsport boss Jean-Pierre Nicolas, who started in this position in March. "Despite a difficult season, Grönholm's work ethic has never been called into question."
     
Nicolas hungers for the constructors' title for Peugeot. Of the remaining six races, three will take place on asphalt and three on gravel roads.
      Loeb is an asphalt specialist, whereas Grönholm and Märtin are most at home on gravel.
      Next week Grönholm will travel to France to test his car on gravel without his co-driver Timo Rautiainen, who injured his back in one of the wild jumps during the Finnish race.
      "For a couple of weeks, swimming is my only allowed physical activity", said Rautiainen, who is scheduled for an MRI scan to determine the seriousness of his back problem.
     
Despite Nicolas's optimism, Grönholm is somewhat downbeat when it comes to Peugeot's prospects in the remaining asphalt races.
      "I do not trust our tyres on dry asphalt", said Grönholm, who has driven all 17 victories of his WRC career on gravel.
     
At the moment, Grönholm single-handedly holds up Finland's rallying reputation. Without his input, the podium positions of the Neste Rally Finland would have ended up in foreign hands for the third time in a row.
      "New talents will emerge gradually. Mikko Hirvonen is a promising fighter", said Grönholm, praising his countryman, who finished fifth in Jyväskylä. "He clocked some impressive times, even though he was supposed to play it safe to ensure points for the Ford team."


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Grönholm ends long dry season and returns Neste Rally Finland to Finnish ownership (9.8.2004)

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